Lose weight and feel great with our expert health and fitness tips

While it may be rather chilly now, summer will be here before we know it – so it’s time to get in shape! We consulted health and fitness expert PJ Stahl, and creator of the 30-day fitness program Tabata, on how to lose weight and tone up in just one month!

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The golden rule is to make sure you do some exercise every day. The Tabata program is just 20 minutes a day, but as it’s high intensity, it quickly burns fat. You can mix and match your workouts, too. For example, one day you might do 20 minutes high intensity exercise with a DVD or the Tabata program, then another go for a swim or jog in the park. It doesn’t have to eat into your day – just 20 minutes is fine – as long as you’re sticking to it.

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Try and do your exercise routine first thing if you can. The later it is in the day, the more things get in the way. Also, you’re in a ‘fast stage’ as your body is depleted of carbs having slept all night, therefore you’ll burn fat more effectively first thing. Save breakfast for after your work out.

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Have caffeine first thing to get your metabolism going and give you energy. This could be coffee, tea or green tea.

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Fitness DVDs can be a great help as they allow you to exercise at home, without the hassle or expense of going to the gym. If you’ve got kids, get them involved too! It’s a great way to spend time together.

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Try to eat healthily by sticking to a 20/20/60 ratio of protein, fat and carbs. Now 60% carbs may sound like a lot, but most of that should be fruit, veg and high fibre carbs, like brown rice. Stay away from processed foods if you can! Also, fats should be healthy fats, like avocado, olive oil and nuts.

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My number one rule is, always try and push yourself to do one more rep (or length, mile, session) than you think you can. By pushing through one more time, you’re really pushing your fitness levels.

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Don’t try and keep up with everyone else – go at your own pace! Everyone’s fitness levels are different, and we all lose weight differently, too.

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Sip on a hot water, lemon and ginger every morning to cleanse your system. This has so many benefits for your health and kick-starts your metabolism.

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Swap regular milk for Almond milk – it’s lower fat and full of nutrients. If you don’t want to put it in your tea and coffee, try on your cereal or on its own.

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Make your goals realistic. So you might not be able to get Jennifer Aniston’s body, but you CAN look fantastic in that pair of jeans that feels too tight now. Or perhaps you’ve got a big event you want to look fabulous for. Again, having a set goal helps keep you motivated.

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Work out with positive people. If there’s a grumpy instructor who makes you feel under pressure by shouting, change your class. As long as you try and keep moving, you’re still burning calories. And if you really need to take a break, that’s fine too.

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It’s important to have recovery time in between, where you do more gentle exercises. Don’t try and do an intensive work out every day or your body won’t have time to rest. Try yoga, or swimming.

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Exercise doesn’t get easier – you just get better! Try introducing new intensities and exercises into your work out. This will shock your body into burning more calories.